1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to sports assemblies and more particularly to portable sports assemblies that are rollable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of sports assemblies, and in particular, basketball goal support assemblies, volleyball net support assemblies and the like, have been proposed and used in the past. Such proposals have recognized that stability and portability are desirable if perhaps competing characteristics. In the past, providing both stability and portability in a particular construction has come at the price of requiring a more complex structural arrangement and, in many instances, the use of additional equipment to serve as a way of either transporting or stabilizing the assembly.
While there are patents which disclose the use of wheels or casters rigidly mounted to the base of a sports assembly, one must typically tilt the entire assembly for the wheels to engage the support surface. In the tilted position, the mover bears a significant portion of the assembly weight and stability. In several basketball sports assemblies, the basketball backboard is oversized and extremely heavy. The average person is not able to readily tilt the entire assembly. In the event that one is able to tilt or overturn the assembly, they would still have to bear a significant portion of the weight of the assembly during transportation.
Moreover, there are patents which disclose apparatuses having retractable wheels that can be deployed to engage the ground. However, in some of these apparatuses, one is still required to substantially tilt the apparatus in order to transport it. Other apparatuses which disclose deployable wheels typically utilize such wheels for added support or stability and do not disclose deployable wheels which are the primary means of transporting the particular apparatus.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a rollable sports base which is securely in contact with the ground during operation and is easily transported without having to substantially tilt the assembly.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a rollable sports base for supporting a sports apparatus. It is a principal advantage of the present invention to provide a sports base which is stable in operation, yet is easily transported without the need for the person transporting the apparatus to bear the weight of the assembly during transportation.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the apparatus particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the invention consists of a sports ballast base for supporting a sports apparatus support member comprising a base member having a first edge and a second edge, a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface is adapted to substantially contact a support surface. There is a wheel assembly having at least one wheel for contacting the support surface. The wheel assembly is retractable or displaceable from a lowered position to a raised position such that when in the raised position, the bottom surface of the base member substantially contacts the support surface and in the lowered position the wheel contacts the support surface thereby separating the base member from the support surface.
It is also desirable for the sports ballast base to have two wheel assemblies, a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly, for contacting the support surface. One or both of the wheel assemblies are retractable or displaceable from a lowered position to a raised position such that when in the raised position, the bottom surface of the base member substantially contacts the support surface. In the lowered position, both the first and second wheel assemblies contact the support surface thereby separating or elevating the base member from the support surface.
In another embodiment, the invention consists of a similar rollable sports base for supporting a sports apparatus support member wherein the first wheel assembly is displaceable or retractable and comprises a pivoting connector coupled to the base member and a wheel bracket coupled to the pivoting connector. The wheel bracket is adapted to receive an axle and at least one wheel, and is further provided with a handle extending outwardly from the wheel bracket. The handle is used to pivotally rotate the second wheel assembly about a transverse axis such that when the handle is rotated away from the base member, the wheel contacts the support surface and the bottom surface of the base member is separated or elevated from the support surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rollable sports base that is securely in contact with the ground during operation and is easily transported without having to substantially tilt the assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rollable sports base having rollers or wheels which are displaceable.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rollable sports base which is easily maneuvered during transportation.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.